The present invention refers to a method and apparatus for handling or moving the stitches of a knitted article.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,570,591 and 5,487,281 deal with the joining of two end edges of a tubular knitted article through a hook-up operation performed onto the right-side out article in correspondence of the machine which knits the article and, respectively, in correspondence of a station for a hook-up operation distinct from the knitting operation.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,164,091 discloses a method of joining two terminal edges of tubular knitted article, which method makes it possible to carry out said junction by a hook-up operation involving either the right-side out or the inside-out part of the article. In particular, provision is made for possibly carrying out the hook-up operation on the inner or inside-out part of the article by removing the latter beforehand from the knitting machine and then moving it on to a hook-up station different from that for knitting. However, this known operating technique brings about some drawbacks deriving from the fact that provision is made for repeatedly transferring the stitches of the linked edges between a plurality of members for the removal and, more generally, the handling of same stitches. In particular, this technique implies that the said stitched are more likely to be missed or damaged and, in any case, of being subjected to mechanical stress which, especially when using yarns of lower quality, may be cause for unsuccessful operations. Moreover, the means used result somewhat complex and, accordingly, considered too expensive in relation to the outcome. The above holds true also in case the knitting is performed by either a one-cylinder or two-cylinder machine.
The main object of the present invention is to overcome the above drawbacks by ensuring in any case the possibility of joining two terminal edges of a tubular knitted machine through a hook-up operation which can be performed also on the inner or inside-out part of the article.
This result has been achieved, according to the invention, by devising an operating method and providing a device having the characteristics indicated in the independent claims. Further characteristics of the present invention being set forth in the dependent claims.
The advantages of the present invention lies essentially in that the stitches to be handled or moved result subjected to minor stresses, which allows using, where deeming it suitable or necessary for economy, yarns of lower quality. In addition, the risk of damaging the stitches, as well as of hold-failure or disengagement of them from the handling members handling in the course of treatment, is reduced. Also worth of being pointed out is the relative constructional simplicity of the present apparatus which allows reducing the manufacturing and operating costs thereof. Moreover, the invention makes it possible to perform a final hook-up operation both of the right-side out and inside-out part of the article, in correspondence of the two edges thereof to be united by a hook-up operation, such as in the case of stockings manufacturing, and this by knitting the stockings with machines of one-cylinder as well as two-cylinder type.